The present invention relates to a dual draw and return fuel manifold with an integral mounting bracket for use on a mobile vehicle containing at least two fuel tanks such as a heavy duty truck. The invention overcomes problems associated with assembling several fittings to a bracket and reduces the opportunities for leaks to develop in a vehicle fuel system by incorporating the fittings and mounting apparatus into a one piece design.
Heretofore, vehicles with dual fuel tanks required multiple fittings to provide parallel supply and return of fuel to and from an internal combustion engine of the vehicle. Diesel engines reject some fuel hence the requirement for a fuel return. There were fuel lines that ran from each tank as a supply. At some point the lines joined to become a single fuel supply line to the engine fuel system. In most cases conventional single piece or multi-piece Tee joints were used. The fuel which was unused by the engine was returned by a single fuel line which at some time split to return to both fuel tanks. Conventional single pieces in combination or multi-piece tee joints also accomplished this return fuel split. The tee joints were mounted directly to a chassis component such as a frame rail or a frame rail to frame rail cross support or the tee joints were mounted to one or more mounting brackets. The mounting brackets would be mounted to a chassis component or a chassis mounted component. Some of the prior art mounting brackets and tee joints are shown in FIGS. 1 to 6. The prior art embodiment shown in FIG. 1 has a separate steel bracket 210 with a high flow return flow splitter 211 engaged to the steel bracket 210. There are separate straight brass fittings 212 engaged to each side of the return flow splitter 211, with a 45 degree brass fitting 213 engaged to the front of the return flow splitter 211. There is a separate brass elbow 214 engaged to a brass bulkhead fitting 215 through a hole in the steel bracket 210. The bulkhead fitting 215 is engaged to a brass tee 216. In the prior art shown in FIG. 2, there is a separate steel bracket 220. There are separate brass elbows 221 engaged to brass bulkhead fittings 222. There are separate brass tees 223 engaged to the bulkhead fittings 222. The main draw back of the prior art was the complexity of assembly which added both time and cost to vehicle production. The prior an shown in FIGS. 3 and 4a to 4g have integral passageways 230, however these were valves with unnecessary complexity in the distribution pathway. The tortuous pathway shown in FIG. 4f reduces the ability of the manifold to effectively distribute fuel due to pressure head loss. Additionally, the mounting arrangement of the prior art shown in FIGS. 3 and 4a to 4g is too cumbersome for vehicle chassis mounting. FIGS. 5a to 5d show an additional prior art design. There is a separate bracket 240 with separate tees 241 as in the other prior art shown. A different prior art tee 242 is shown in FIG. 6. There is a need for a non-complex, single piece, dual fuel supply and return manifold with an integral mounting bracket for use on a mobile vehicle,
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a simple one piece dual draw and return fuel manifold with an integral mounting bracket for use on a mobile vehicle,
A manifold that contains two three way tees integrated onto a mounting bracket or body meets the primary object of invention as well as other objects. The mounting bracket has two engagement legs for engagement to a chassis or a chassis mounted component. One such chassis mounted component would be an upper portion of a vehicle transmission of the vehicle drive train. In a preferred embodiment these engagement legs will be engaged on the upper sides of a transmission of the vehicle. The return and supply manifolds may be located one on top of another on the manifold such that they may be easily connected to the tubing of the fuel system. The mounting bracket in one embodiment is on a slight angle such that the hook up to the engine from each of the return and supply three way tees are at a slight up angle rather than horizontal. The slight up angle of the hook up to engine ports of the three way tees further improves the accessibility for installation on an assembly line. In a second embodiment the two three way tees may be integrated into a single body unit with the two engagement legs.